


Living With Definition

by wesleyfanfiction_archivist



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-02-29
Updated: 2004-02-29
Packaged: 2018-07-12 08:39:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7094614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wesleyfanfiction_archivist/pseuds/wesleyfanfiction_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 5 of "The Definition Series." It's good to be home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Living With Definition

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Versaphile, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [WesleyFanfiction.net](http://fanlore.org/wiki/WesleyFanFiction.Net). Deciding that it needed to have a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact the e-mail address on [WesleyFanfiction.net collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/wesleyfanfiction/profile).

Author's Note: This is the final fic in the Definition Series. The explanation about why Dawn, Angel and Spike could only see Wesley, not the other screamers is here too. Also, less angst here than in the rest of the series because I figured I'd filled the quota. So make way for happy romantic fluff!

***

Angel and Spike shifted uncomfortably and Wes let them squirm before finally looking up.

"Can I help you?" he asked, "I've got to finish this within the hour. Dawn and I are going away for the weekend."

The vampires exchanged glances and Spike sighed dramatically.

"Look, is there something wrong, Wes?" he asked.

"Great, Spike. Subtle, sensitive," Angel muttered.

"You wanna do the asking, Angel?" Spike asked, waving his hand to indicate he was letting Angel take over.

"Uh, Wes," Angel started, "you've been back a month now and we - Spike and I - were wondering… how you're doing?"

"Fine," Wes answered, but his head bowed over his work quickly and Angel edged closer, sitting down slowly and silently.

"Don’t believe you," Spike said bluntly, sitting down, "you've been trawling the archives, Wes. You've been going through other dimensional accounts of the Hell you were in. What's the fascination?"

"Nothing," Wes said evasively. At Spike and Angel's disbelieving looks, he sighed, "the screamers," he admitted, "I couldn’t settle thinking that there were more people there. I know it didn’t look like much, but feeling that alone, that isolated for so long with those apparitions… I couldn’t abandon others to the same fate."

"You going back then?" Spike asked, lip curling into a sneer.

"No," Wes looked toward them; "the other dimensional accounts were more in depth than the accounts from this dimension. Apparently, everyone who was ever there was driven mad by the apparitions. They all died; I'm not clear how. The screams are echoes. I thought there were other people there. But I was alone."

There was a long silence. Wes was staring into middle distance, a faraway expression on his face. Angel shifted uncomfortably and Spike was watching Wes intently.

"So you're not going back there?" Spike asked.

"No," Wes shook his head, smiling slightly, "I'm not."

"Wes, are you ready? C'mon, I'm all packed!" Dawn bounded into the room, in jeans and sweater. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder, a helmet in each hand. She placed the black helmet on the work Wes had before him and hugged the red one to her chest.

"I've got to finish this, sweetheart," Wes answered, shifting the helmet to one side and trying to focus on the work in front of him.

"I told you he wouldn’t be ready yet," Buffy sighed, coming into the office with Fred.

Dawn was bobbing on the balls of her feet and Buffy and Fred exchanged glances before settling into their partners' embraces.

"Wes, I'm sure it can wait 'til Monday," Angel offered.

"I wanted Gunn to go over this before I go," Wes said slowly, frowning at the contract he was working on.

"Yeah, well, he can't," Dawn said, "he just left with Andrew. They're going to a club."

"A club?" Angel, Buffy and Spike cried as Fred erupted into giggles.

"Andrew? A club?" Angel looked terrified at the very thought, "but he can't…y'know, move."

"And Gunn," Buffy giggled, "I know he was cool once, but can you imagine him doing the bump an' grind with some girl in that suit!"

Dawn shrugged, shooting the others a frown.

"It's about time those two found girlfriends," Dawn said firmly, shooting the two couples pointed looks.

Angel and Buffy glanced at their entertwined hands and pulled away momentarily. Spike, however, yanked Fred into his arms and planted a firm kiss on her cheek.

"Wesley!" Dawn wailed,waving her helmet in the air when Wes still didn’t move, "you wasting precious alone time!"

"Wes, mate, will you get your behind off that chair and out the door, for God's sake!" Spike cried.

With a heavy sigh, Wes dropped the pencil, methodically neatened the sheets of paper and closed the folder around it. He sat for a second, before cracking into a wide grin; he leapt out of the chair, grabbed hold of Dawn and threw her over his shoulder. She shrieked as he grabbed his helmet and carried her to the door of the office.

"We'll see you Monday!" he called.

"Go!" Buffy yelled.

And to the shrieks of "Put me down, Wesley Wyndham-Pryce!" Dawn and Wesley disappeared, their voices evaporating as the doors of the elevator closed on them.

"Alone time," Spike mused, "is that what they're calling it these days? In my day, they called it a dirty weekend."

***

"You never whisk me off on a motorbike," Fred said softly, curling closer to Spike in the lamplight.

"I've not been in a Hell dimension for six months," Spike answered, taking another drag of his cigarette.

"Have you got any idea how stereotypical that is?" Fred sat up and pointed to the cigarette in Spike's hand, "the typical post coital cigarette."

"Well, someone's gotta live the movie moment," he shrugged, "and it may as well be me."

Fred rolled her eyes, pulled the cigarette away from him, and took a small puff.

"What?" she asked at his expression, "didn’t anyone ever tell you relationships are about sharing? Besides, I did some weed in high school."

"You really are full of surprises," he laughed, sitting up, taking the cigarette back and stubbed it out.

"I wish I was full of Chinese," she sat up and grabbed her pyjamas from the floor. She slid into them as she got out of bed and grabbed the pile of menus from the dressing table.

She bit her lip as she looked at them and Spike stubbed out the cigarette and pulled on his jeans. He left the bedroom of their apartment and hopped across the cold tiled floor of kitchen to the refrigerator.

"This floor is freezing!" he cried, hopping from one foot to the other as he opened the fridge and pulled out a beer.

"You say that every time," Fred called.

He came back into the bedroom and jumped onto the bed, covering his feet with an aggrieved pout. She laughed and turned her attention back to the menus.

"What do you fancy?" she asked.

"You," he replied, smirking.

"You know what I mean," Fred said, but she smiled and blushed anyway, "what about Thai? Or pizza, infinite possibilities there. Or we could try that new sushi place down the street."

Spike stared at her as she tailed off and ran her finger down the list. Spike watched her for a moment. Her finger twirled a curl around her finger, then smoothed her pyjama top.

Since getting back from the Hell dimension, Spike had spent most nights at Fred's apartment. And, at Dawn's insistence, he stopped leading her on and made a decision.

And looking at her now, remembering how concerned she had been about him when he was in the Hell dimension, he thought he had made the right choice.

"I love you, Slim," he said in a low voice.

Her head snapped round to stare at him and the menus shook for a moment in her hands. Her face broke into that wide smile of hers and she sat on the bed beside him, shifting back under his arm.

"Ditto," she answered, giggling a little.

He smiled at her and kissed her nose.

"So," she said, "Thai?"

***

Buffy gave Wesley's office a quick glance, checked the templates remained untouched on their table, the vault was shut and no weapons were missing. Satisfied, she turned off the light and shut the door.

She walked over to Harmony's desk and leaned on it, smiling at Harmony who was staring intently at the computer screen.

"Harmony, you can go now," she said, when Harmony didn’t reply, Buffy sighed and leaned forward to look at the screen.

"Hey!" Harmony protested.

"Oh, my God! Demon porn, Harmony?" Buffy screeched, backing away and covering her eyes, "what possessed Angel to keep you on?"

"My good looks and personality!" Harmony replied, quickly shutting down the computer, "and it's not my fault if there's nothing preventing me accessing… Demon dating sites. And my shift's finished, I don’t have to take this abuse!"

And with that, Harmony grabbed her things and stalked furiously towards the elevator.

"What's going on?"

Buffy turned to face Angel.

"Harmony was surfing demon porno websites," Buffy explained.

Angel stared at her, blinked and shook his head.

"Well, if it keeps her quiet," he shrugged, "so… you, uh, you coming back to my place? There might be a movie or something…"

"Sounds good," Buffy nodded, slipping an arm around his waist and leaning against him.

Angel put his arm around her shoulders and together they walked toward the elevator. Once inside, Buffy tip toed to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing him into the wall.

When they broke apart, Angel was frowning.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"What does demon porn look like?" he asked, expression stuck between horror and morbid curiosity.

"Angel!"

***

Dawn yawned and snuggled closer to Wesley, staring across his chest at the window. The waning moon hung shone silver light through the window, illuminating the tiny motel room in shades of black, white and grey.

"You think they'd mind if we never, ever went back?" she asked.

"I think Buffy will go mad with worry if we're an hour late back on Sunday," Wesley chuckled.

"But we'd never know," Dawn answered, "we could just get on the bike and drive wherever we want. Never have to worry about anything ever again."

"And when the money runs out and we're starving and you've seen a pair of shoes that are to die for?"

She tapped him lightly on the chest.

"You're not supposed to be serious," she admonished, "you're supposed to play along."

"I'm sorry. Yes, driving wherever we want. Nights in motels. Wonderful."

"Ok," she relented, rolling onto her back, "so I'd miss LA."

"And Buffy."

"And Andrew."

"And Spike and Fred. Gunn and Lorne too."

"My office."

"The work."

"The supply room," she shot him a wry smile.

"Yes," he agreed, "some of my best memories are of that supply room. I've ever got the paper cuts to prove it."

"You love it," she laughed.

"Yes. But not as much as I love you," he traced a finger along her stomach and glanced up at her.

"You are unbelievably sappy," she said, "but I love you."

They lay in silence for a while.

"I missed you," Dawn whispered after a moment, "have I ever told you that? I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he replied quietly.

"I just keep thinking what would have happened if I had given up. If I never tried to find you. Thank God Lilah Morgan showed up."

"Lilah Morgan?" Wes asked, looking up at her with a frown.

"Dead lawyer," Dawn explained, "she seemed to know you, but she said you didn’t know her. Perhaps you knew her in some other dimension?"

"Well, whatever the reason, it's a good thing she came to you. Or I might have been stuck there longer."

"Or forever," Dawn whispered, horror evident in her voice.

"Does it matter?" he asked, "I'm here now, that’s all that counts. I'm here, you're here and we don’t have to think about anything 'til Monday."

"True," she nodded, "so… are you tired?"

He grinned.

"Not a bit."

***

The End

Really this time! That's it! That's the end of the series. Hope you enjoyed it. I'm glad I got him back, I never would have got over the guilt otherwise. And yes, I know that in the show, Wes remembered Lilah. But I started this series with him not knowing her before I found out that he did.


End file.
